This Backstage Disney Tour is Still Surprisingly Cheap For Amazing Access and Experience
One of my favorite things to do at Walt Disney World is to take advantage of the tours to learn behind the scenes facts and get a sneak peek of backstage areas. Animal Kingdom is known for its amazing lineup of tours especially the Wild Africa Trek!
This backstage tour is surprisingly cheap and is a great addition to your day at Animal Kingdom. Keep reading to see how we fit this tour into our day and what to expect.
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Caring for Giants Elephant Backstage Tour
We experienced the Caring for Giants Elephant Backstage Tour at Animal Kingdom during our last visit which fit seamlessly into our day. This is a 60-minute guided tour that takes you backstage to private viewing of Disney's African elephant herd. The tour guide will provide details of the day-to-day care of the elephants and share stories about Disney's conservation efforts.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R26e4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R46e4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeYou get to see the elephants from about 80 to 100 feet away which is a closer encounter than other in-park experiences. This tour is surprisingly affordable at only $39 per person. If you're looking for a way to shake up your day at Animal Kingdom, this tour is a great way to do it.
Let's get into the details of what to expect on this tour and why I felt this experience was absolutely our time.
Check In Process at Animal Kingdom
Elephant TourYou can find the check in for this tour directly adjacent to the Kilimanjaro Safaris in Animal Kingdom. I timed our tour so that afterwards we would go redeem our Lightning Lane for this popular attraction so it all worked out well for us.
In terms of timing, I do think the earlier you book the tour, the better because the animals are usually more active earlier in the day.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2de4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R4de4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeYou get a fun little nametag that is made out of 85% recycled elephant poop fibers. This caused a lot of giggles from the kids in our group.
This Tour Goes Backstage at Animal Kingdom
Once our tour started, our knowledgable guide took us backstage to Animal Kingdom to an air conditioned bus. If you ever were curious to see what the backstage area of Animal Kingdom looks like, this is a fun way to do it! There are no photos or video allowed backstage.
On the way to the elephant viewing area, we passed different locations focused on animal care behind the scenes which was really cool to see. We passed by the fields of Napier grass which Disney grows to feed its elephants. These fields are larger than Magic Kingdom! During your drive, the tour guide will explain what you're seeing and discuss behind the scenes information about the animal care.
Up Close Elephant Viewing
Elephant tourThe drive is just a short trip away from the elephant viewing area which essentially is a back door view to the Kilimanjaro Safaris.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2me4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R4me4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeThere are two main areas you can see the elephants from: their backstage gated area and the part of the safari they roam near the guests. You are closer than the safari vehicles and have the benefit of a longer time to wait for the elephants to roam about and give you the chance for a good view.
Elephant Viewing is Not Forced so No Guarantees
The tour guide explained how elephant viewing is not guaranteed. None of the animal viewing at Animal Kingdom is guaranteed which is a sign of strong ethics and respect for the animals. The cast members will not force the elephants to come near the viewing area or call their names (yes, they do respond to their names!) so a good view is all purely by chance.
It does seem likely you will see them since the viewing area is positioned pretty strategically based on where they like to roam. We had no issues seeing multiple elephants during our tour and learning about them.
Taylor Swift Baby Elephant Birthday Parties
elephant tour animal kingdomSpending time with our tour guide was one of the best aspects of our tour. She was extremely knowledgable about the elephants and was easily able to identify them by name and explain their family dynamics. I really enjoyed talking to her and learning about the day to day details of elephant care.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2ve4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R4ve4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeWe also got a good look at baby elephant Corra! I learned that she shares a birthday with Taylor Swift so in honor of this the elephant keepers threw her a Taylor Swift birthday party on her birthday. This was such a cute fact and you could easily see how much our tour guide loves these animals and knows them well.
If you have any animal lovers in your group, you will love this Animal Kingdom tour. The entire experience was very pleasant and laidback which was a nice break from the theme park crowds. The tour group is kept fairly small, less than ten people, so it gives you the chance to really listen to the tour guide and get close to the rail at the viewing area to see the elephants.
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